涉外英语合同写作技巧.docx

涉外英语合同写作技巧.docx

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涉外英语合同写作技巧

涉外英语合同写作技巧

PublishedinTheFloridaBarJournal,Nov.2000Note:

Thisarticleisforbackgroundpurposesonlyandisnotintendedaslegaladvice.

　　Welcometothe21stCentury.WherepracticinglawrequiresustodonthegarbofcomputersandtheInternet.Andwherelitigationisascostlyasever.Lawyerbillsrunning$10,000amontharenotunusualinahotlycontestedbreachofcontractlawsuit.Witheveryword,phraseandsentencecarryingthepotentialforwinningorlosing,thestakesarehigh.Simplelogic,therefore,directsustocautiousandthoughtfuldrafting.

　　Draftingcontractsisactuallyoneofthesimplepleasuresofpracticinglaw.Just3yearsagoatthisConventionIpresented50tipsforcontractwriting.Thisarticleupdatesthosetipsinthecontextofournewtoolsandabilities.Followingthesetipscouldresultinyourwritingacontractsoclearnoonewillwanttolitigateit,savingyourclientfromthetrialsandtribulationsoflitigation,trulyagoodreasontowritethecontractthatstaysoutofcourt.

　　Thesetipsapplytowritingallkindsofagreements:

officeleases,realestatecontracts,salesagreements,employmentcontracts,equipmentleases,prenuptialagreements.Theyevenapplytostipulationsandsettlementsinlitigation,whereyouwantanagreementsoclearthatitavoidsfuturelitigation.Whereverclarityandsimplicityareimportant,thesetipswillguideyouthere.TheAppendixprovidesafewsampleformstoillustratethesetips.

　　BeforeYouWritetheFirstWord

　　1.Askyourclienttolistthedealpoints. Thiscanbeintheformofalist,outlineornarration.Doingthiswillhelptheclientfocusonthetermsoftheagreement.

　　2.Engageyourclientin"whatif"scenarios. Agoodcontractwillanticipatemanypossiblefactualsituationsandexpresstheparties'understandingincasethosefactsarise.Talkingtoyourclientaboutthiswillgeneratemanyissuesyoumaynototherwiseconsider.

　　3.Askyourclientforasimilarcontract. Frequently,clientshavehadsimilartransactionsinthepastortheyhaveaccesstocontractsforsimilartransactions.

　　4.SearchyourofficecomputerortheInternetforasimilarform. Manytimesyoucanfindasimilarformonyourcomputer.Itmaybeoneyoupreparedforanotherclientoroneyounegotiatedwithanotherlawyer.Justremembertofindandreplacetheoldclient'sname.Startingwithanexistingformsavestimeandavoidstheerrorsoftyping.HerearesomeWebsiteswhereyoucanfindforms:

http:

//www.flcourts.org/http:

//www.flabarrpptl.org/library.html

　　5.ObtainformsinbooksorCD-ROM. Typicalformsofcontractscanbefoundinformbooks,suchasWest'sLegalForms（anationwideset）andFloridaJurForms,aswellasintreatisesandFloridaBarCLEpublications.Thesecanbeusedasthestartingpointfordraftingthecontractoraschecklistsoftypicalprovisionsandwordingtoincludeinthecontract.ManytreatisesandformbooksnowcomewithformsondiskorCD-ROM.

　　6.Don'tletyourclientsignaletterofintentwithoutthiswording. Sometimesclientsareanxioustosignsomethingtoshowgoodfaithbeforethecontractisprepared.Aproperlywordedletterofintentisusefulatsuchtimes.Justbesurethattheletterofintentclearlystatesthatitisnotacontract,butthatitismerelyanoutlineofpossibletermsfordiscussionpurposes.SeeAppendixC

　　WritingthatFirstWord

　　7.Startwithasimple,genericcontractform. TheforminAppendixAissuchaform.Itprovidesasolidstartingpointforthestructureofthecontract.Likeahouse,acontractmusthaveagood,solidfoundation.

　　8.Statethecorrectlegalnamesofthepartiesinthefirstparagraph. Asobviousasthisis,itisoneofthemostcommonproblemsincontracts.Forindividuals,includefullfirstandlastname,andmiddleinitialsifavailable,andotheridentifyinginformation,ifappropriate,suchasJr.,M.D.,etc.Forcorporations,checkwiththeSecretaryofStatewhereincorporated.

　　9.Identifythepartiesbynicknames. Givingeachpartyanicknameinthefirstparagraphwillmakethecontracteasiertoread.Forexample,JamesW.Martinwouldbenicknamed"Martin."

　　10.Becarefulwhenusinglegaltermsfornicknames. Donotuse"Contractor"asanicknameunlessthatpartyislegallyacontractor.Donotuse"Agent"unlessyouintendforthatpartytobeanagent,andifyoudo,thenyoubetterspecifythescopeofauthorityandotheragencyissuestoavoidfuturedisagreements.

　　11.Includeablankforthedateinthefirstparagraph. Puttingthedateinthefirstparagraphmakesiteasytofindafterthecontractissigned.Italsomakesiteasytodescribethecontractinotherdocumentsinapreciseway,suchasthe"December20,2000,ContractforSaleofRealEstate."

　　12.Includetoprovidebackground.Recitalsarethe"whereas"clausesthatprecedethebodyofacontract. Theyprovideasimplewaytobringthecontract'sreader（party,judgeorjury）uptospeedonwhatthecontractisabout,whothepartiesare,whytheyaresigningacontract,etc.Thefirstparagraphinthebodyofthecontractcanincorporatetherecitalsbyreferenceandstatethattheyaretrueandcorrect.Thiswillavoidalaterargumentastowhetherornottherecitalsarealegallybindingpartofthecontract.

　　13.Outlinethecontractbywritingoutandunderliningparagraphheadingsintheirlogicalorder. Theparagraphsshouldflowinlogical,organizedfashion.Itisnotnecessarytowritethemallatonce；youcanwritethemasyouthinkofthem.Trytogrouprelatedconceptsinthesameparagraphsorinadjacentparagraphs.Forexample,writeanemploymentcontract'sinitialparagraphheadingslikethis:

Recitals.Employment.Duties.Term.Compensation.

　　14.Completeeachparagraphbywritingthecontracttermsthatapplytothatparagraph. Thisissimple.Youlearnedthisinelementaryschool.Justexplaininwordswhatthepartiesagreetodoornotdoparagraphbyparagraph.

　　15.Keepapadathandtorememberclausestoadd.Itisnormaltothinkofadditionalclauses,wordingandissueswhilewritingacontract. Jotthesedownonapadasyouwrite；theyareeasilyforgotten.Alsokeepyourclient'soutlineandotherformsinfrontofyouasyouwrite,andcheckoffitemsasyouwritethem.

　　16.Repeatyourselfonlywhenrepetitionisnecessarytoimproveclarity. Ambiguityiscreatedbysayingthesamethingmorethanonce；itisalmostimpossibletosayittwicewithoutcreatingambiguity.Onlyiftheconceptisadifficultoneshouldyouwriteitinmorethanoneway.Inaddition,ifyouuseanexampletoclarifyadifficultconceptorformula,besurethatallpossiblemeaningsareconsideredandthattheexampleisaccurateandconsistentwiththeconceptasworded.

　　WhattoWatchOutforWhenWriting

　　17.Titleit"Contract."Donotleavethisonetochance. Ifyourclientwantsacontract,callitacontract.Ajudgenowsittingonthefederalbenchonceruledthatadocumententitled"Proposal"wasnotacontracteventhoughsignedbybothparties.Thelessonlearnedis,"Saywhatyoumean."Ifyouintendthedocumenttobealegallybindingcontract,usetheword"Contract"inthetitle.

　　18.Writeinshortsentences. Shortsentencesareeasiertounderstandthanlongones.

　　19.Writeinactivetense,ratherthanpassive. Activetensesentencesareshorterandusewordsmoreefficiently,andtheirmeaningismoreapparent.Exampleofactive:

"SellersshallsellthePropertytoBuyer."Exampleofpassive:

"ThePropertyshallbesoldtoBuyerbySeller."

　　20.Don'tusetheword"biweekly." Ithastwomeanings:

twiceaweekandeveryotherweek.Thesameappliesto"bimonthly."Instead,write"everyotherweek"or"twiceaweek."

　　21.Don'tsaythingslike"activetermitesandorganisms". Avoidambiguitybywritingeither"activetermitesandactiveorganisms"or"organismsandactivetermites."Whenaddingamodifierlike"active"beforeacompoundofnounslike"termitesandorganisms",besuretoclarifywhetheryouintendthemodifiertoapplytobothnounsorjustthefirstone.Ifyouintendittoapplytoboth,useparallelconstructionandwritethemodifierinfrontofeachnoun.Ifyouintendittoapplytojustonenoun,placethatonenounattheendofthelistandthemodifierdirectlyinfrontofit.

　　22.Don'tsay"Lessor"and"Lessee." Thesearebadnicknamesforaleasebecausetheyareeasilyreversedormistyped.Use"Landlord"and"Tenant"instead.Thesameappliestolienorandlienee,mortgagorandmortgagee,grantorandgrantee,licensorandlicensee,partyAandpartyB.Thisiswhereyoucanuseyourcreativitytocomeupwithadifferentnicknameforaparty,aslongasyouuseitconsistentlythroughoutthecontract.

　　23.Watchoutwhenusing"herein." Does"whereverusedherein"meananywhereinthecontractoranywhereintheparagraph？

Clarifythisambiguityifitmatters.

　　24.Writenumbersasbothwordsandnumerals:

ten（10）. Thiswillreducethechanceforerrors.

　　25.Whenyouwrite"including"consideradding"butnotlimitedto." Unlessyouintendthelisttobeall-inclusive,youhadbetterclarifyyourintentthatitismerelyanexample.

　　26.Don'trelyontherulesofgrammar.Therulesofgrammarthatyoulearnedinschoolarenotuniversal. Thejudgeorjuryinterpretingthemeaningofyourcontractmayhavelearneddifferentrules.Writethecontractsothatnomatterwhatrulestheylearned,thecontractisclearandunambiguous.Followthistestforclearwriting:

Removeallperiodsandcommas,thenreadit.Choosingtherightwordsandplacingthemintherightplacemakesthewritingclear